Boyd Hurston
Boyd Hurston is the head of the Hurston family and user of ''The Pedigree of All Creations''. He applied the knowledge of the Phantom Book to create artificial humans, including his grandsons Roy and Chez, the latter being the Beast of Ashwell. He is present in the Pedigree story. __TOC__ Background Boyd’s family originally earned most of their fortune by breeding hunting dogs, providing even to the kennel of the royal family. Dogs raised by a famous breeder are commonly purchased for unbelievable high prices. The Hurstons aren’t from the nobility, although they present equal wealth and authority. Many of them work as judges or as committee members in important offices. The family owns lands around town, employing several tenant farmers. They became unpopular after Roy Hurston brought in a new machine to replace 500 workers in a fertilizer factory, the only industry company in the vicinity. Assisted by many servants, the old man lives in a big mansion overseeing the town. Expensive racehorses graze in the adjoining farms and flowers bloom in the well-maintained, beautiful garden that shows a water fountain and countless roses. The property has its own dog kennel. Boyd resides in the annex of the mansion, a dark grey, old limestone building. Beyond a thick metallic door, a stairway leads to a windowless underground room where he brought forth Chez and Roy, a secret chamber serving as the old man’s laboratory filled with test tubes, bottles with chemicals and experimental utensils. More than sixty years ago, a secret contract with the Queen made Boyd apply The Pedigree of All Creations to create a superior individual. Along other European countries, the Kingdom fought against Russia in a fruitless war that cost a giant amount in war expenditures and the lives of countless soldiers. Seeing her Majesty grieving, the chamberlain asked Boyd if he could use the same techniques he used on dogs to develop the perfect soldier, a human with exceptional abilities that could survive the toughest confrontations. The Hurstons were already in contact with the royal family for providing combat dogs for the battlefields. After inheriting the Phantom Book and the position of head of the family, Boyd build his secret laboratory, realizing he could grant the Queen’s wish. Although not blood-related, Boyd raised Chez and Roy. He used the knowledge of The Pedigree of All Creations to figure out how to create a superior human crossbreed, first examining men and women with excellent lineage, then pairing them to artificially create his grandsons. He examined the genes of thousands of countrymen to produce their parents, who were adopted and raised by people who lost their children in war. As adults, their already special genes were revised and used to make Chez and Roy. Ultimately, Chez was revealed as the Beast of Ashwell, the human with superhuman capabilities Boyd was trying to achieve. Boyd’s objective was having Chez spread his genes across the country. According to Roy, the crossbreeding is a method to elevate the status of the family. Boyd also used the Phantom Book to breed exceptional dogs and to achieve roses with blue pigments by recombining genes of different plants, a technology that should be impossible in the current age. Hurston estate.jpg|The Hurston estate. Chez infobox.jpg|The Beast of Ashwell, one of Boyd's creation, behind Dalian. The Hurston family has an old agreement with the Black Biblioprincess. She would occasionally present The Pedigree of All Creations, a Phantom Book sealed by Boyd’s ancestors. When the new head of the family is appointed, his inheritance is a unique opportunity to read the Phantom Book. Boyd affirms Dalian kept unchanged since their last meeting, many years ago.The Mystic Archives of Dantalian light novel, Chapter 2, volume 1. Personality Boyd has a fragile healthy and needs servant assisting him. His weak speeches have long pauses. He’s occasionally seen breathing heavily and coughing blood. With not a lot of time left, the old man is only interested in granting The Pedigree of All Creations to the new head of the family. He doesn’t seem to mind the ethical problems caused by artificially manipulating the genes and characteristics of humans. Boyd is very respectful to the Black Biblioprincess. Boyd can be cold, using harsh words to deem Roy as a failure. Appearance He’s an old man with bony, trembling fingers, looking terrible pale due to sickness. Boyd is bounded to a wheelchair with creaking metallic wheels. Plot Hugh and Dalian head to the mansion to meet Boyd. As arranged earlier, they came to show a Phantom Book as an inheritance. Before Chez and Roy can take them to their grandfather’s room, Boyd appears to greet the Black Biblioprincess on his wheelchair, pushed by servants. He kisses her hand and notices her unchanged appearance. Boyd explains her purpose to his grandsons. Before midnight, Boyd would name the next head of the family and the next reader of The Pedigree of All Creations. He coughs blood while speaking and receives a glass of water from one of his servants. Waiting in the garden, Hugh and Dalian learn more about Boyd and his family. Chez mentions how the Hurstons became rich raising dogs. Soon after, his brother reveals how Boyd used the knowledge of The Pedigree of All Creations to artificially create his grandsons. Roy believes he will be named as the next head of the family. After he leaves, Dalian examines a flower bed. Roses with blue pigment should be impossible to produce. Somehow, Boyd used the Phantom Book to manipulate the genes of plants. The same technology could be used to produce the Beast of Ashwell. However, as discussed by Hugh and Dalian, Boyd was unable to go outside and train the creature. It was night when Boyd welcomed Hugh, Dalian and his grandsons to his workroom. He asks Hugh to open a metallic door, revealing a secret, underground laboratory. Chez carries his grandfather down the stairs. Inside the room, the old man talks about what motivated him to crossbreed humans. Chez, the Beast of Ashwell, is the superior human Boyd wanted to achieve for more than half a century. Boyd tells him to inherit The Pedigree of All Creations as the new head of the family and spread his genes across the country. According to the old man, Roy was only a failure. However, Chez cannot accept the title. He tries to persuade his grandfather to stop playing with lives. Shocked, Roy shoots Boyd, who collapses forward with a weakly moan as a dark stain spreads around his chest and blood comes out of his mouth. The laboratory is partially destroyed in an explosion when the flames from an oil lamp reach some chemicals. The body and wheelchair of Boyd Hurston were crushed beneath the collapsed ceiling and probably burnt after Roy set the place on fire. It was probably never discovered that Boyd was killed by his grandson. The Beast of Ashwell took all the blame for what happened. References Category:Male Characters Category:Deceased Characters Category:Phantom Book Users